Why Content Is So Important to Attracting Resume Clients

From cave paintings to John Deer and even Jell-O, content marketing has been around for literally thousands of years. Anytime someone wanted to get the information out about anything, they could turn to content for the answers. Cookbooks are a great example of content marketing before the Internet. It was a list of products to buy. When combined in a particular way, it was delicious.

You could say the same is true for content marketing even today.

These days, content marketing is extra important because it's how you will get people to visit your website. It's also how you'll teach people about the issues that are important to them as a jobseeker, and hopefully turn them into a client.

• Digital Search Content. All content is fodder for search engine traffic. Search engines use the information on your blogs, websites, and social media to send your customers your way. They do this with the terms used in the content or in the "alt" descriptions.
• Social Media Content. Everything you put on social media is content. It doesn't matter if it's a meme, an image, words, a video, or something else; it is considered content. When you realize all that content encompasses, you quickly realize that yes, it is very important. It's not just a blog post or text; it is everything.

Content marketing can take on many shapes and forms. Some of these include:

• Blogs. These need to go out on a regular basis to help your visitors find your website. You can also write original guest blog posts sometimes to bring other audiences to you.
• Newsletters. These can be sent via email on a regular basis to keep your subscribers engaged and active.
• Magazines. Today, you can create an online magazine to help with marketing and informing your audience. Or seek out digital or print magazines that reach your target client.
• Podcasts. This is another way to put out information without having to type it. Instead you can record your thoughts and upload them to be listened to later. There are only a few podcasts on career topics, which is very surprising to me. There should be more. The breakthrough one will be the person who creates a call-in Q&A-type show like Dave Ramsey has for personal finance.
• Videos. YouTube is a great example of the power of video to get the word out about anything and teach others something that requires visuals.
• White Papers. These are long research documents that often compare and contrast the solutions to a problem discussed in depth. They are great for educating a wide audience without overtly advertising your solution. There's not enough independent research about career issues. Maybe you can be the person to change that.
• Ebooks. Using books to build your expertise is a great way to teach an audience about something that requires a lot of information. Today, publishing on Kindle is simple and free.
• Online Presentations. You can post PowerPoint slides on SlideShare.net and other presentation sharing sites as another way to keep your audience informed. Repurpose content by creating a short online presentation with its key points.
• Webinars. Growing in popularity due to their live nature and the way the audience can interact with the hosts, webinars are a very effective form of content. (Teleseminars are also still growing, due in large part because they don't require the user to understand technology. All they need is a phone.)
• Infographics. Often used on social media, infographics are a great way to help your audience picture important data visually.
• Games. If you can create an online game that teaches or markets some aspect of the job search to your audience, then you will have some really awesome content that gets results. (Let me know when you create this. I would love to promote it!)
• Branded Tools. Whether it's a job search app, a WordPress plugin or something else, creating a tool that your audience can use daily (even if ití' an old-fashioned planner) provides the type of content that will remind them that you're there.

As you see, content encompasses almost everything you do to market your resume writing business, inform people about your career services, and interact with people. That's why content is king. Content is the most important asset you own when it comes to digital marketing.

Make Marketing Your Resume Services Into a Game

As I mentioned in several emails in January, I participated in Jon Acuff's "30 Days of Hustle" challenge with the goal of increasing the number of Bronze members for BeAResumeWriter.com.

The theme for Day 25 was "Game On" and Jon talked about how to take your hustle and turn it into a game. He said "Games help you get momentum and distract you from the boring or difficult." Sounds like marketing your resume services -- right? It can be difficult to get started (getting momentum) and we sometimes think of marketing our services as boring or difficult (it doesn't have to be either!).

Jon said there are five elements to "gamify a task." These include:

• A limited time
• A small challenge
• A score
• An opponent
• A reward

I immediately saw a connection between gamifying tasks and the principles of the Get Clients Now® program, which I have been teaching for over a year now.

The full program is six weeks, but the "action period" is just 28 days (limited time). It involves setting a Program Goal for yourself -- a small challenge that you can accomplish within 28 days. You keep score using a Tracking Worksheet where you assess your progress towards your Program Goal AND how many of up to 10 tasks you completed each day. You have built-in opponents because you're participating in the program with between 3-11 other resume writing colleagues. Each week on the coaching calls, you get to report your progress and see how your results are measuring up against the other participants. And finally, there is the Reward! You set a Reward for yourself before you start the 28-day program.

Knowing that the program meets all the elements of a game makes it more fun! 

If you're interested in learning more about the program -- or enrolling in an upcoming session -- check out my upcoming sessions:

Get Clients Now! for Resume Writers and Career Coaches

Strategies to Help You Close the Sale

Creating a sense of urgency — buy now!— is the single most important factor in turning resume prospects into resume clients. Ask any resume writer: It’s critical to get a client to commit on the first call. The longer they wait, the slimmer your chance of getting them to open their wallet.

When I ask self-employed resume writers which part of owning their own business is the most challenging, “selling” and “closing the sale” are often in the top five answers — if not THE top responses.

So if you have a hard time turning resume and coaching prospects into clients, I want to share some specific strategies that will get people off the fence and get them to take action…which means getting them to open their wallets and become clients.

In the Resume Writers’ Digest Annual Industry Survey, the results are pretty consistent year after year that the average résumé writer works on 3-4 resumes per week, at an average fee of around $500. So, imagine if you were able to serve one more client each week — that’s an extra $2,000 per month, or $24,000 a year.

Many of the strategies I’m going to share don’t cost anything — so you can get a tremendous bang for your buck. The strategies I’m sharing are ones you can use in your very first conversation with a prospect, or on your website, or in a follow-up email with a prospective client.

Speaking of the first conversation with a prospective client, it’s critical to get a client to commit on the first call. The longer they wait, the slimmer your chance of getting them to work with you.

Now before we jump in, let me offer one piece of advice:

Combine these triggers whenever possible. One trigger is powerful, but when used together, they are even more powerful and will boost your client conversion rate even higher!

(There are 25 strategies in the special report -- here are my favorite 5 -- they're numbered by the strategy as they appear in the special report):


#1. Offer Time-Sensitive Bonuses

How to use a low-cost, high-value bonus to clinch the sale.

Just offering a bonus is a great way to incentivize people to buy what you’re selling. But when you make the bonus time-sensitive, you increase the urgency. And that means increased sales!

Think about the infomercials you see on television. Many of them offer a “gift with purchase” — something extra when you make your purchase. Simply offering a special bonus — and it doesn’t have to be anything expensive — can increase your conversions. But when you combine that bonus with a deadline, you make this strategy even more powerful. That’s because a sense of urgency can help get people to commit.

This does not have to be a high-pressure sales tactic.

Examples:

•  “I’m offering a special bonus for new clients who decide to take action today. If you order the Deluxe Resume and Cover Letter package, I’ll also enroll you in our ‘30 Days to Your Next Job’ Challenge, which is a $49 value, for free.”

• Order your Resume Rewrite package in the next 48 hours, and you’ll get a free 8-day “Leveraging LinkedIn In Your Job Search” training — a $49 value.

• Buy the “Six Steps to a $6,000 Raise” and you’ll get a free 15-minute salary negotiation strategy session — but hurry, this special offer ends tomorrow!

You can also use this tactic for products and services you sell on your website. For example, “If you purchase a one-hour job interview coaching session, you’ll receive a free ebook, ‘55 Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer in an Interview,’ — if you reserve your coaching session by May 31.”

Low-cost bonuses can include:

• Ebooks or digital special reports

• Workbooks or tip sheets

• Recordings and/or transcripts of teleseminars you’ve done

• 15-minute “strategy sessions” when the client makes a high dollar purchase. These can also be lead-ins to your coaching services or coaching packages, giving prospects a “try-before-you-buy” sample of what coaching can do for them.

Most of these are things that won’t take you a lot of time to create — but have a high perceived value for clients. Just offering a bonus can increase your sales — but putting a time limit on it makes it even more powerful.

#4. Give a Free Critique

Why getting clients to take a small action now can lead to a bigger sale later.

Yet another way to offer your personal time and attention as part of a bonus package is by offering a free critique. Free critiques used to be the number one way resume writers secured leads and converted those prospects into clients. For many resume writers, that’s still the case. Offering a free critique can not only help you assess the client’s existing resume, but it can also help you make the sale. If someone calls you and is asking about price, you can deflect that question by asking if they have an existing resume and offering the free critique.

Ask them some additional questions about their job search — for example, if there is a specific job that they’re targeting, or a specific job posting or opportunity they need the resume for, and what their timeline is. You can also ask when was the last time their resume was updated, and whether they wrote it themselves or not.

Tell the prospect that once they have sent you their existing resume  you’ll get them a customized resume review (critique) that will help identify how their resume meets current standards. This also works for LinkedIn Profile development services.

Examples:

• Order the interview preparation ebook book today and you’ll receive a free resume critique.

• Order now and I’ll review your LinkedIn Profile for free.

If you are a Bronze member of BeAResumeWriter.com, you have access to a Resume Critique Form and LinkedIn Critique Form you can use for this “buy now” incentive.

This is a strategy that works well when paired with other strategies. For example, you can use the LinkedIn critique as a free bonus for your resume clients when paired with Strategy #1 (“Offer time-sensitive bonuses”). So if they purchase a resume package today, you’ll also provide a free assessment of their LinkedIn Profile. (“Oh, you don’t have a LinkedIn Profile? Well, you definitely need one! Let me send you my free ebook on “The Savvy Jobseeker’s Guide to Getting LinkedIn to a New Job.”)

This strategy is also a good way to get clients to take a little action now that can lead to a big sale later. An example of this is if you sell information products — like ebooks or fixed-term membership courses — on your website. Getting someone to enroll in one of those is a perfect example of starting a relationship with a small step. So having an inexpensive offering on your website — under $49, for example, if your resume packages average $500 — gets them to take a small step.

The same is true when you use the free critique — getting them to start the dialogue about what it would be like to actually work with you gets them thinking about that. When you review their existing resume, you’re sharing information about it, but you’re also positioning yourself as the one to provide the actual service.

#7. Justify the Price

Understand where emotion and logic fit into the client’s buying decision.

People make their buying decision based on emotion, and then justify their decision based on logic. With this in mind, you can help them come more quickly to their buying decision by helping them justify their purchase logically.

For example, you can point out that the average length of unemployment is 35 weeks, so shortening that by a few weeks can make a significant financial difference.

Examples:

• If you’re currently unemployed, then you can’t afford to NOT get this book. And consider this — the book is just $25, but you’ll get back to work faster using the practical, action-oriented strategies in the book.

• Do you want to make $1,000…$5,000…or more…in your next job? How much money have you been leaving on the table when you’re negotiating your new job offer? This ebook can add thousands of dollars to your paycheck — and you’ll pay only $49 for this valuable information!

Case studies are a great way to combine logic and emotion. You start with a testimonial from a client who raves about how they got a $1,000, $5,000, or even $10,000 raise when they used the resume you wrote for them. You better believe I used the testimonial from the client I had a few years back who got a $10,000 increase in salary from his last job to his current one. For example: “Wouldn’t it be worth it to invest $600 in a resume and cover letter that can help you get 10 times the return on that in your salary at your next job?” 

(If you are putting this statement on your website, the Federal Trade Commission does require you to have a disclaimer somewhere on the page that indicates the “typical results” your clients achieve, if a significant salary increase isn’t a typical result.)

For more information on use of endorsements and testimonials, check out:

http://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/guides-concerning-use-endorsements-and-testimonials-advertising-16

The key with this strategy is the balance between emotion and logic. You can’t have one without the other.

#10. Give Hope: “Order Now…Or Everything Will Stay the Same”

Get the person who is looking for a do-it-yourself solution to pay for a done-for-you solution.

Basically, the idea here is that you remind the prospect: “If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same result.” If the client doesn’t order now, everything will stay the same…which probably means whatever they are doing isn’t working…otherwise, you wouldn’t be talking to them in the first place.

In the book, “Launch: The Critical 90 Days from Idea Until Market,” author Scott Duffy makes the point that “the biggest mistake salespeople make is selling the wrong thing.” He says you’re not selling them a product or a service — you’re selling them hope.

The same is true for jobseekers. We’re not selling them a resume  We’re selling them job interviews. We’re selling them a better salary. We’re selling them a better life.

This strategy works particularly well for jobseekers who aren’t having success with a “do-it-yourself” approach to their resume  cover letter, and/or job search. The jobseeker desperately wants a solution – and the search for a solution has been disappointing. He’s frustrated, discouraged, and even a little depressed that he hasn’t been able to solve the problem himself. He may even be kicking himself for allowing the problem go on this long. 
This is particularly true for jobseekers who have been actively looking for months.

That’s where you come in — you offer hope. You offer hope that you can help the jobseeker get a job interview…and then an offer…at a great salary…in a job he will love. And you remind the prospect that if he doesn’t take action, then nothing will change.

Examples:

• “Are you struggling in your job search? Not getting interviews? Interviews not turning into job offers? I can help! Call me today and get on the fast track to success in your job search with my 28-day Job Search Success System.”

• “Are you getting paid what you’re worth in your current job? Take our free assessment and find out if you’re underpaid — and the three things you can do today to increase your salary.”

#22. Employ Power Words

You’ve heard the commercial: “People do judge you by the words you use.” These words can help you seal a sale.

This strategy is especially powerful when you combine it with other strategies. That’s because this method is simply a matter of using the most popular power (“trigger”) words that boost sales. As resume writers, we are keenly aware that words have power, and that choosing your words carefully can have substantial impact on the reader.

So, instead of “ resume cost,” it’s “investment.” The power of a word like “investment” is that it triggers a specific feeling in the person reading it. The money they’re spending is not an “expense” or “cost,” it’s something that they will yield a return on.

Let me give you a list of some of the most powerful words you can use in your sales materials, on your website, or in phone consultations with prospective clients:

Some of these words work by capturing attention (“amazing”). Some work by appealing to the prospect (such as the word “you”). Some work by stating a benefit (“easy”). Still others evoke curiosity (“secrets”).

Here are examples of these words in action:

• You

• Secrets

• Discover

• Guaranteed

• Quick

• Easy

• Fast

• Announcing

• Introducing

• Amazing

• Fantastic

• Huge

• Blowout

• Surprising

• Startling

• Reveal

• Proven

• How to

• New

• Scientific

Talk about “you” — because people love to hear about themselves. “Secrets” are appealing, because wouldn’t you love to know a shortcut to a quick and successful job search? If you talk about “quick” or “fast,” people want results NOW! Words like “startling” or “surprising” use something unexpected to stop prospects in their tracks. (“Are you making this surprising mistake on your resume?”) And using a word like “proven” is reassuring, because no one wants to be the guinea pig.

• Announcing our first-ever ebook that teaches you, step-by-step, how to make more in your current job.

• Discover the secrets of the world’s greatest recruiters.

• Now you too can use these proven strategies to find your next job faster!

If you like these five strategies, there are 20 more in the special report:
"Turning Browsers Into Buyers: How To Get Resume Clients To Buy Now"

Collecting Client Testimonials for Your Resume Writing Business

Testimonials on your resume business website serve an important function for prospective customers. But what should be included in them, and how do you persuade customers to provide them?

A great testimonial includes the following elements:

• The specific services you provided to the client
• The specific results he/she realized after working with you
• Whether or not he/she would recommend you to others
• The client name (first and last name is best; first name and last initial is acceptable)
• Client location (city/state)
• Photo of the client, if he/she has one and is agreeable to posting it

Here's a template you can use to ask clients for a testimonial:

Dear (client):

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with you on your job search. I am happy you got the job!

I would appreciate the opportunity to post your results on my testimonials page. Would you be willing to write a few lines telling prospective clients how my services helped you in your job search? I would be most grateful.

Thank you!

Your Name

Do You Make These Money Mistakes in Your Resume Writing Business?

Most resume writers are better with words than numbers. If you're like me, you don't enjoy the finance and bookkeeping parts of your business as much as you do the writing part.

But we need to focus on the money side of things if we want to succeed in business. Here are eight money mistakes that many resume writers make in their business. See if you're making any of them.

1. Not Doing It At All. Many resume writers ignore bookkeeping entirely and try to get it all done the night before their taxes are due. This is a huge mistake for obvious reasons. Even if your resume writing business doesn't make much money yet, you could be missing out on some awesome benefits if you don't take this seriously. The fact is, you have to account for and record every penny you earn from all your business activities, all the time.

2. Not Saving Receipts. Every receipt should be saved. It's easy; just put them in a box after you note them in your bookkeeping software. (I keep mine in a file folder -- one file for each month of the year.) That way, if there is ever a question, the IRS will have the records.

3. Not Getting Expert Advice. Hire someone to help you set everything up so that you know you're doing it right. Some CPA firms will send someone to your location (even at home) to help set up the books so that you do it right, and they can easily do the monthly, quarterly, and yearly activities. (I used to pay my first accountant $25 a quarter to fill out my quarterly sales tax report. I asked my current accountant to teach me how to do it myself -- it takes 5-10 minutes and I save $100 a year by doing it myself now!)

4. Not Tracking Reimbursables. Your clients may reimburse you for some things -- for example, doing an email campaign to recruiters. Make sure you're tracking this as an expense that you paid (or marked up) so you're not paying taxes on the whole transaction as straight revenue.

5. Setting Up the Chart of Accounts Incorrectly. The chart of accounts is very important to accurate bookkeeping. Setting this up right will get you off to a good start and help you avoid money wasters and time wasters. (This is something I need to work on for 2016. My chart of accounts in Quickbooks has become kind of unwieldy over the past 6 years I've been using this version of the software.)

6. Not Reconciling Monthly. Each month you are supposed to reconcile your bank accounts and your bookkeeping accounts. This is an important habit to master because it will help you avoid mistakes. (And it will make doing your taxes easier too.)

7. Taking Money out of the Till. Even if you don't have a real cash drawer, taking out money from your business account and spending it on personal items whenever you want is a bad way to do business. Have a business account that is dedicated solely to the business. Only pay business expenses from it. That way, any checks or withdrawals for you will be profits you're taking from the business.

8. Lack of Automation. Today, you can automate so much, including expenditures that go on a particular card and are booked automatically into your accounting program. There is more, but you'll have to choose the software to find out what type of automation is available.

If you make sure you're not making these money mistakes, you'll have more of a chance to improve your business, spend more time working with clients (instead of working on your business), make more money, and keep everything organized so that you don't get overwhelmed.

Kudos!

I don't normally do posts like this, but I wanted to keep this information somewhere, and I thought you might be interested in this feedback too! (I recommend surveying your customers occasionally -- and this is a good question to ask!)

On the 2015 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey, I ask this question:
"What can Resume Writers' Digest and BeAResumeWriter.com provide you with that you're not getting anywhere else? Any other comments/feedback?"

Here were some of the responses:

• "The wonderful client articles to share."
• "I get so much more from BARW than any other association!"
• "I like the pass-along materials and use them to create passive income in my business."
• "Keep up the great work -- have LOVED everything you write and send out to us!"
• "Developing a business model which is highly personalized and incorporates goals for establishing balance between work and real life. A holistic approach to creating a realistic work/life blend. Filtering out the noise and editing 'what to say no to.' My mind is an overachiever and has set me up for a good deal of stress; my heart (and my husband) just wants my personal time back!"
• "I like the tools/templates you make available. I like having quality tools I can easily access and adapt to meet my needs despite a very busy schedule."
• "You are doing an amazing job -- just keep doing what you are doing!"
• "Focus on ideas for improved materials used in the industry."
• "Forms for managing client workload -  i.e., a good "Tracking Form"
• "Content if I ever set up a blog or newsletter to send out to potential clients."
• "Takeaways are great!!"
• "I absolutely love the LinkedIn guide you wrote and then updated. I'd love more templates and guides for additional document writing, such as reference page and guides, social media updating guides, etc. Things I can give or sell to my clients as an added benefit to my resume writing."
• "Guidebooks and information sheets to give to clients as part of paid packages."
• "Resume writing/career coaching book recommendations. Contract samples/templates. Scripts for talking to referral partners (especially recruiters)."
• "You are already doing it, and doing it well!"
• "Show us how to set up merge fields in resume documents, invoices, contracts, etc. to save time when dealing with clients. That way, we only need to type the name, email, address, phone number in once, and then it automatically populates where it needs to in accompany documents."
• "Keep on doing what you're doing; it's great"
• "I would like more information to help potential clients understand the differences between the various certifications out there. There is no apples-to-apples comparison right now. Potential clients seem to simply view a certification as a certification -- with no differentiation."
• "I would love to see a business case for companies, nonprofits, state career centers, university career centers, etc. (organizations that already have a career services component) bringing in resume writer consultants to conduct training and speaking. I often get the cold shoulder with the attitude of "We already offer what you do," but they don't offer the same level of quality and don't have the same level of expertise (or credentials). I am tired of trying to convince them."
• "Products that are pre-written so I don't have to use my downtime not writing to write more!"
• "More potential customer referrals for resume writing."
• "Speaking engagements: Who, what, when, where, why, how."
• "I appreciate the resources you produce. They are of excellent quality and tremendously useful to clients. Thank you for your hard work!"
• Already benefiting with Get Clients Now! but more information/support/resources regarding improving quality of subcontracting relationships, e.g., average income for subcontractor. I think this will benefit the industry generally, both on the subcontractor side and the contracting side."
• "Continued access to tip sheets and instructional materials for us and for clients."
• "Survey results like this to understand industry trends and peer perception."
• "Unbiased information / Bridget's wisdom."
• "I love the ready-made special reports (Pass-Along Materials) that I can give to clients to supplement the coaching/resume writing work we are doing."
• "I love my membership in BARW! It is a goldmine of information and education."
• "More insight into the daily operation of other resume writing businesses. How do they do it?"
• "How to establish a membership-based site." 

I appreciate all the feedback, ideas, and positive comments!

Follow-up to Question: What Topic Do You Want to Learn More About in 2015?

One of the questions I ask on the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey is: "What topic do you want to learn more about in 2015?"

In reviewing some of the answers, I see some answers that we've created resources for, so I've included some of the answers with links to these resources (training, special reports, and Pass-Along Materials).

Here's the answers:

• Marketing
• Retirement
• Sales, marketing, resume trends
• Passive income strategies
• Using social media to gain new business
• I want to earn a coaching certification
• Getting the sale
• SEO
• Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems
• Intake procedures (detail, not overview)
• Making the sale on the phone during first contact
• New formatting ideas
• Latest innovations in resume writing. ATS update.
• Need to overhaul my website (need help with that)
• Getting the confidence to ask for higher prices
• Managing challenging/needy clients that zap time/energy
• Recordkeeping
• Writing tips/strategies (tighter, results-oriented)
• Creating a website that will deliver streams of income
• Managing my business
• Resume layout/design
• Additional documents I can create for my clients to help increase the price of my packages
• Do Twitter and Facebook play any significant role for very senior executives in their career searches
• Client retention
• Creating an information product
• LinkedIn Profile Writing
• LinkedIn
• Changes in resume writing / ATS / digital resumes
• Always social media
• Already learning about case studies/writing white papers
• Generating leads/marketing
• New resume writing ideas, latest ATS information
• Managing communications -- I find it so easy to get distracted by email and phone calls
• How to sell my business
• Applicant Tracking Systems, LinkedIn
• Advertising
• LinkedIn
• Key problem issues among other resume services
• Interview coaching
• How certifications compare
• How to start meeting deadlines and get up and off my seat!
• Career transitioners and CVs
• Residual and passive income
• How to motivate jobseekers to use and apply the tools and advice I provide them
• Use of social media for job search
• Massaging the sales pipeline to close more sales
• Writing even better executive resumes
• LinkedIn
• Creating graphics for resumes
• Cover Letters
• LinkedIn and online presence
• Want to finish Get Clients Now and learn more about direct marketing in this arena generally
• The future of the resume writing industry, out-of-the-box ideas, scaling up the business
• Keeping up with social media changes, trends
• Career discovery
• Passive income that's not obnoxious to clients since so many people get blasted with daily emails
• How to create a more robust client experience
• Career management coaching
• LinkedIn profile writing
• How to start a membership site with little investment and grow it
• Getting more clients
• Email templates for rejecting clients
• Adding graphic design to my project work -- I notice lots of high-level resume writers using very complicated design work on their resume samples and if this is the "norm," I need to start incorporating graphic design into my projects
• Managing business growth
• Membership-based sites / products / passive income

How Do You Compare? 2015 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey

The Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey is an opportunity for resume writers to benchmark their progress compared to their peers. The survey was first conducted in 2001. The 2015 edition of the survey was conducted from May 2015 into June 2015 and the results were reported in December 2015.

One hundred six resume writers contributed to the survey data. They spent an average of 11 minutes answering 21 questions in the survey.*

The results were compiled into the "Profile of Professional Resume Writers: Who We Are, What We Charge, How We Work" report. Career industry professionals interested in receiving a complimentary copy of the report can opt-in to receive it here.

Who Are Survey Respondents?
More than fifty percent of survey respondents are full-time, self-employed resume writers, including subcontract work. Twenty-two percent are self-employed part-time. Anecdotal evidence suggests many of those working part-time have full-time jobs in university career offices, as a recruiter, or working in human resources.

Ninety-one percent of those who took the survey are located in the United States.

The survey respondents are not "newbies." Only six percent of survey respondents have been in business for fewer than two years.

The pricing data reflects the "veteran" nature of survey respondents. Generally, resume writers who have been in business charge the most. (Those who don't charge enough to support themselves in their resume writing business generally leave the industry.)

Where We Work
Seventy-five percent of survey respondents report they work from a home office, with another 14 percent having both a home office and a business office. Only eight percent work from a business office (not located in a home), which is a stark contrast from the early years of the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey, when a home-based resume writer was the rarity.

The number of resume writers who work with clients virtually has steadily increased over the past few years. In this year's survey, 31 percent of resume writers say they only work with clients virtually. Forty-five percent say they work with clients in person and/or virtually, with another 13 percent who say they meet with clients in person, either at the resume writer's home or office.

The number of resume writers who use a combination of a phone consultation and questionnaire to gather information from clients has risen slightly from the previous survey. Thirty-five percent of survey respondents report using this combination (up from 33% in 2012), while 21 percent only use questionnaires (up from 16 percent in 2012).

Services
The survey revealed that participants write an average of three resumes a week -- a number that has been fairly consistent over the past few years in the survey. Writers reported spending an average of 24 hours a week on resume development (including client consultations, research, writing, and finalization) -- the same number as in the previous survey.

The busiest month, according to the survey, is January, followed by September. In the previous survey, February was the second-busiest, with February, March, and April tied for third.

Let's Talk Pricing
The most common hourly rate cited was $150 in this year's survey, double the number in the previous year's survey ($75 in 2012 data, compared to $50 in 2010 and 2011). The hourly average this year is $105.64, a 14 percent increase from $90.87 reported in 2012, and up from $83 an hour average in 2011.

The average reported price for a resume and cover letter in 2015's survey is $603.82, which is up almost 20 percent over 2012's figure ($478 in 2012, which was down slightly from 2011's figure of $11). The most frequently-cited amount charged for a resume and cover letter was $350, which was up from $300 in 2012's survey data.

LinkedIn profile development services are becoming a bigger part of the "average" resume writer's typical sale, followed by preparing additional resume formats (ASCII and PDF), creating references pages and other supporting documents (thank you letters), and brand development services. Social media profile development (outside of LinkedIn) has declined since the 2012 survey.

How Resume Writers Attract Clients
Marketing is often listed as one of the top challenges of resume writers, so it can be useful to learn how other resume writers secure their clients:

• Referrals – 17% (18% in 2012)
• Website – 13% (16% in 2012)
• Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) – 13% (7% in 2012)
• Directory of Professional Resume Writers on Professional Association Websites – 7% (same as 2012)
• Networking – 7%
• Organic Search (not paid ads) – 6%
• Community Outreach/Unpaid Speaking Gigs – 3%
• Strategic Alliances – 3% (5% in 2012)
• Recruiters – 3% (5% in 2012)
• Public Relations/Being Interviewed – 2%
• Blog – 2% (4% in 2012)
• Yellow Pages – 2% (5% in 2012)

The percentage of resume writers reporting they get new clients via their website is down three percent from the previous survey, while LinkedIn (and other social media) is up six percent. Yellow Pages advertising, not unexpectedly, has declined from five percent to two percent. Strategic alliances are down from five percent to three percent. Recruiter referrals also dropped three percent from 2012's figures. Blog traffic as a source of new clients also dropped from four percent to two percent.

Networking -- not surprisingly -- is a good source of business, generating seven percent of business. Unpaid speaking engagements and community outreach account for three percent of new clients, and public relations/publicity generated another two percent.

Certification and Training
Most resume writers surveyed are a member of at least one professional association. Memberships included:

• The National Resume Writer's Association – 14% (15% in 2012)
• Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches – 13% (14% in 2012)
• BeAResumeWriter.com – 13%  (same as 2012)
• Career Thought Leaders – 13% (8% in 2012)
• Career Directors International – 9% (11% in 2012)
• Resume Writing Academy – 8% (6% in 2012)
• The Academies – 5% (4% in 2012)
• National Career Development Association – 4%
• JibberJobber.com – 3% (4% in 2012)

Membership figures have stayed pretty consistent from the 2012 survey. (We consider the "traditional professional associations" to include the NRWA, PARW/CC and CDI, while the other organizations listed provide training and other membership benefits, but are not traditional professional associations.)

Forty-four percent of survey respondents report they are certified as resume writers, with another 10 percent saying they have a coaching certification. Twenty-five percent report they are dually certified in resume writing and career coaching, while 20 percent are not certified.

Resume writers: Like the information you've read so far? Opt-in to receive the full report here. 
The full report also includes a "Profile of the 'Average' Resume Writer" and additional resources for career services professionals.

* Note: The survey is a voluntary report from participating resume writers and is not considered statistically valid.

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Read these blog posts about previous Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey results:

• 2012 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey (published 2014)
• 2011 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey
• First Look: 2010 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey
• 2008 Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey Results
• Resume Writers' Digest 2007 Industry Survey
• Industry Survey 2004
• 2003 Industry Survey Results
• Profile of Professional Resume Writers - 2001-2002

Write Great Resumes Faster (CEU)

Looking for Continuing Education Units (CEU) for resume writing? 

Here's a free training that can earn you one CEU!

How long you spend on writing a resume depends on you — but what resume writer doesn’t want to learn strategies to write better resumes even a little more quickly — without sacrificing quality? In this presentation, Bridget (Weide) Brooks, CPRW will give you tools and resources to help you reduce the amount of time it takes you to write a resume — while simultaneously improving the effectiveness of the resumes you write.

Are you ever stumped on where to start when writing a resume? Do you keep track of how long it takes you to write a resume? Would you like to shave 45 minutes, an hour or two — or more — off your writing time? Looking for ideas on how to create more effective resumes to win your clients an interview? How much more money could you make — or how many more clients could you serve — if you could write resumes even just a little bit faster than you do now — without compromising the quality of the work you produce? 

The premise of this training — “Write Great Resumes Faster” — is to help resume writers make more money, with less work! Designed for new resume writers and veterans alike, this presentation will address three main areas. 

• The first is the “pre-writing process,” or strategies to implement before you sit down in front of your keyboard to actually write the resume. 
• The second section is on technology and the tools that will help you with the writing part — and the “getting faster” part, which has a lot to do with research and client management. 
• Finally, you’ll get some solid strategies that will help you when it’s just “not working” — when you get stuck. 

One of the hallmarks of Bridget’s presentations is you’ll get actionable tips and information you can put to use right away, including formulas, cheat sheets, and worksheets.

Take the free course here:

There is also a CEU quiz in the course. If you score 80% or above, you will receive a certification for one CEU.

Bridget (Weide) Brooks, CPRW, has been writing resumes with Image Building Communications in Omaha, Nebraska, for the past 16 years. She is editor of Resume Writers’ Digest, a trade newsletter for professional resume writers, and the founder of the BeAResumeWriter.com resource site for careers industry professionals. Bridget has authored numerous information products, including “Feed the Media,” “Developing Strategic Alliances and Partnerships with Recruiters,” and “Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor.” She is a prolific blogger and social media specialist. Bridget has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.